Also called the mounting hardware, the skateboard hardware is useful in connecting the trucks to the deck. Every truck is actually in need of 4 bolts and locknuts. If you are planning to buy hardware for your custom skateboard, then note that they are often sold in sets composed of 8 parts, though it is also possible for you to buy individual parts separately when required.

The National Skate Co‘s approach to marketing retained this air of intrigue with the release of their first video, ‘The National Skateboard Co. Promo‘ in 2013 with minimal promotion beforehand. This promo video featured lo-fi VX2000 footage of original team members Thomas Harrison, Danijel Stankovic, David Mackey, Joshua Young, Vaughan Jones and Neil Smith interspersed with found footage and black and white news reel clips.
The “popsicle” deck is the most popular shape because of its versatility and durability. These decks resemble the shape of a popsicle stick because they feature both a nose and a tail that are exactly or nearly symmetrical. Since the nose and the tail are shaped about the same, it’s easy to do tricks no matter which direction you’re headed in. Most skateboarders stick to popsicle decks because of their functionality and reliability.
Amongst the chaos of trends and contrived images GOOD Skateboards remains true to the roots. The preach and practice of the philosophy that it's not WHAT you do but HOW you do it. Spear headed by legendary pro Tosh Townend, GOOD Skateboards is that much needed breath of fresh air in an industry polluted by heartless money fiends and exploitative mind sets. Made in the USA and as Grass Roots as you could possibly get Tosh and good friend Tommy De Maria bring to you something straight from the core of skateboarding; actual skateboarding. No egos, no attitudes; GOOD Skateboards' roots run deep with an utmost respect for skateboarding's past and a rich understanding of skateboarding's history. Support GOOD and support skateboarding in the hands of skateboarders.
The first skateboards started with wooden boxes, or boards, with roller skate wheels attached to the bottom. Crate scooters preceded skateboards, having a wooden crate attached to the nose (front of the board), which formed rudimentary handlebars.[6][7][8] The boxes turned into planks, similar to the skateboard decks of today.[9] An American WAC, Betty Magnuson, reported seeing French children in the Montmartre section of Paris riding on boards with roller skate wheels attached to them in late 1944.[10]
Goldfish and Mouse established Girl’s video aesthetic with numerous movie skits inter-cut with the skating, including the infamous Eric Koston as Charlie Chaplin skit. Pioneering skate photographer and film-maker Spike Jonze (also responsible for Blind Skateboard’s Video Days) as a part-owner of Crailtap has been involved in the making of all of their videos to date and it is his cinematic approach that lends Girl’s video output its uniqueness.
Last year, Element didn’t even make it to the top 3, but in 2016 it reached the top and therefore is our top skateboard deck brand on skatedeluxe! We can only congratulate! Even after 24 years the old hand of the skateboarding industry, which was founded in 1992, does not forget how to provide you with decks that push tears of joy out of your feet. What to expect for 2017? A big anniversary! Can’t wait for that! Get your new Element deck from skatedeluxe starting at 59.99 €| 50.00 GBP!
If you have a great passion for the downhill ride as well as cruising and you are a beginner of longboarding, then ultimately, this board can satisfy your needs. It’s a versatile board as you can use it for cruising and downhill riding. The board is equipped with the perfect wheel size — not so big and not so small. It is big enough to give you a smooth ride but it is not too big to get wheel bite. Isn’t it cool? The 44 inches size of its wheels is perfect for comfortable cruising as well as riding downhill. It has some flex which will reduce the stress on your ankle and knees.
The first thing to consider is what kind of skateboarding you want to do. Do you want to skate your local skate park and learn tricks? Do you want something for commuting across town or campus? Or, would you enjoy charging down hills at high speeds? Take a look at the options below and note which features work well for the type of skating you want to do.

In 2003 Go Skateboarding Day was founded in southern California by the International Association of Skateboard Companies[53] to promote skateboarding throughout the world. It is celebrated annually on June 21 "to define skateboarding as the rebellious, creative celebration of independence it continues to be."[54][55][56][57][58] According to market research firm American Sports Data the number of skateboarders worldwide increased by more than 60 percent between 1999 and 2002—from 7.8 million to 12.5 million.[59]

Hi Everyone! My name is Pete (yes, I’m a real person who lives in a cornfield just outside of Buffalo, NY – well, my house is in the middle of a cornfield!). As a former collegiate athlete in Iowa, I’ve played varsity basketball, volleyball and soccer. I also happen to be an outdoor adventure fanatic who’ll do whatever it takes to never miss my annual week-long wilderness canoe trip in the Northern Ontario wilderness. Sports equipment has come a long way over just the past few years, and I’d love to share with you the latest (and most competitively priced) products that will save you many of the frustrations I’ve dealt with over the years! Please feel free to cruise the site and drop me a line on the contact page if you have ideas for improvements or anything else!
“As far as the actual look of the vast majority of contemporary graphics goes, I’d say that it feels to me as if something has been lost. It’s down to what you can do with modern heat transfer printing techniques – you can literally just take a photograph from the Internet and print it identically straight onto a skateboard. Speaking personally, there’s very little to challenge you there: either from the point of view of creating graphics, or from the consumer’s perspective. Whereas back when screen-printing was the norm, every time a graphic was produced the artist was physically cutting the key line out by hand. The key line is the final black line that forms the outline of whatever it is that you’re printing and ties in all the other colours together. You can see this in the early Sean Cliver graphics for example, where it’s clear that he has hand cut the key lines as precisely as he was able to, but looked at from today’s perspective they’re not perfectly precise, which is what gives Cliver’s earliest stuff its specific look in my opinion.”
Well, independent skateboard brands, like Birdhouse skateboards or Blind Skateboards are prevalent. The DIY factor over the various skateboarding brands of course, acquires attention for the beginners in skating. But, for intermediate and expert level jumps, the names of best selling skateboard brands rule the market. Everyone considers the top 10 skateboard brands, but we have explained the top 12 skateboard brands for you. Why do we consider these top 12 skateboard brands? Well, our inclination lies in quality and efficiency. Whether, you belong to the beginner or expert level, whether you seek for the skateboard shoe brands or skateboard deck brands, we are here to assist you.
In the early 1970s, Frank Nasworthy started to develop a skateboard wheel made of polyurethane, calling his company Cadillac Wheels.[7] Prior to this new material, skateboards wheels were metal or "clay" wheels. The improvement in traction and performance was so immense that from the wheel's release in 1972 the popularity of skateboarding started to rise rapidly again, causing companies to invest more in product development. Nasworthy commissioned artist Jim Evans to do a series of paintings promoting Cadillac Wheels, they were featured as ads and posters in the resurrected Skateboarder magazine, and proved immensely popular in promoting the new style of skateboarding.
Regardless of the length of these boards, they each have several components in common that include a deck, grip tape, trucks, and wheels. The deck is the actual surface piece of the board on which a rider stands to perform tricks or control their degree of motion. Decks range between seven and ten inches in width and although seven-ply wood is the most common material for them, they can also be crafted out of bamboo, carbon fiber, and even plastic. Decks are shaped in several unique concave designs, which include radial, progressive, W-concave, tub, and asymmetric. Radial concave decks have U-shaped curves and are ideal for beginners, as they provide one's feet with a reliable grip.
The laws for skateboarding helmets vary from state to state. Many states require that skaters wear a helmet under a certain age, and some states like California make all skaters under 18 wear a CPSC Certified helmet at all times. CSPC skateboard helmets usually have an EPS protective liner that meets the safety standards for skateboarding. Make sure you check your state's regulations before ordering.
In summary - recognizing a real skateboard isn’t rocket science, but it does take some amount of brand awareness and ultimately even trial and error. We tried to take the guesswork out of it by starting SkateXS and openly sharing and celebrating each and every component we use to build our skateboards. Hopefully we have been able to share the values and priorities we put into those design decisions.
Skateboarding might be a game but it teaches the biggest lessons of life. It helps kids to accept others being better than them and encourages them to put more effort to progress and be the best. When they ride in the park with people who are expert and know impressive drills, they come to learn that practice and efforts make a man perfect. Skateboarding also teaches kids to control and focus.
Their fan base loves them for pushing goofy but fun looking skating that in reality is heavier and rawer than most will realize, and their board graphics and t-shirts feature art from their riders in striking colorways. Their product immediately stands out among the bunch at any shop it’s stocked. These guys are doing things exactly their way, and it’s sticking.
Skateboard Cafe’s video releases to date include the initial Skateboard Cafe Promo (2012) featuring the original team of Harry Ogilvie, Shaun Currie, Josh Arnott, Tom Gibbs, Louis Marshall and Pat Garrahy plus associated friends. This was followed by Skateboard Cafe’s first full-length video ‘Alfresco‘ in 2015, followed by a rash of single rider and tour-based video releases since. Skateboard Cafe are also notable for conducting every aspect of their business in-house with all video, design and product sourcing undertaken by the owners, as well as using video look-books to promote each new drop of Skateboard Cafe product.

Browsing decks online is best when you're looking the actual brand's website, rather than a retailer that carries a lot of different brands. The company site usually gives you a taste of what the brand is all about, in addition to what their decks look like. A lot of brands have their own skateboarding teams. If you happen to like a rider on a team, that can give you a strong connection to a brand (and they'll probably have a deck with your favorite rider's name on it). You also might be drawn to a particular philosophy of the brand or a specific design or construction feature used on their decks. For example, some companies are known for killer graphics, and some play around with different materials to give their decks unique performance characteristics.

Canadian maple wood decks are the industry standard and is what the vast majority of decks on this list will be made of. However, is the seller just says “maple” the deck is typically made in China and the wood may be slightly softer and lower quality. This is more common among the lower cost blank decks, and most pro brands or higher end blanks are typically 100% Canadian maple. In my opinion, the difference between Canadian and Chinese maple decks is slight and in many cases, a cheaper Chinese deck may be the better option for you if you have a small budget or tend to go through decks very quickly.
Trick wise, you can perform many different tricks. The price is well worth it because of the lightweight nature and solid design of the skateboard brand. The trucks and bearings are custom made by the company so there is no room for error as the quality is promised to be upheld by the company. Also, the package itself comes with a mini T-tool which is great for on the spot replacement of wheels, adjusting the bearings, and also interchanging the trucks if need be.

Amongst the chaos of trends and contrived images GOOD Skateboards remains true to the roots. The preach and practice of the philosophy that it's not WHAT you do but HOW you do it. Spear headed by legendary pro Tosh Townend, GOOD Skateboards is that much needed breath of fresh air in an industry polluted by heartless money fiends and exploitative mind sets. Made in the USA and as Grass Roots as you could possibly get Tosh and good friend Tommy De Maria bring to you something straight from the core of skateboarding; actual skateboarding. No egos, no attitudes; GOOD Skateboards' roots run deep with an utmost respect for skateboarding's past and a rich understanding of skateboarding's history. Support GOOD and support skateboarding in the hands of skateboarders.

Are you on a hunt for the best skateboard on the market today? Then you are in the right place as this comprehensive article is designed to give you information about skateboarding and types of skateboards in general. By learning about the different types of skateboards and what each one can do, figuring out what works for you the best is a lot easier.
Group spirit supposedly influences the members of this community. In presentations of this sort, showcasing of criminal tendencies is absent, and no attempt is made to tie extreme sports to any kind of illegal activity. Female based skateboarding groups also exist, such as Brujas which is based in New York City. Many women use their participation in skate crews to perform an alternative form of femininity.[75] These female skate crews offer a safe haven for women and girls in cities, where they can skate and bond without male expectations or competition.
It's really hard to continue with a small girls’ board brand when so many companies are now interested in the women's market. We feel like it's the right time to close down the brand and move on to the next chapter. Thanks to George and Juli Powell as well as Michael Furukawa for their vision and support of the brand and our mission over the last decade. Thanks to those who bought our products, our team riders, media, and to those that believed in what we were doing from the very beginning. I also want to thank Mimi Knoop who wore multiple hats over the years and was responsible for making hoopla a brand that was respected, legitimate, and one that we were proud to be a part of.
They are also budget friendly when you compare their features and capabilities. The latest technology of developing created a new groundwork in the world of skates. That way the new skaters can quickly learn how to become better and how to practice for professional tournaments. It is widely popular, and that is the main reason why you will see at least one Alien skateboard in any skate park in the world.
Playwheels Disney Skateboard For Kids is a 21″ Wood single kicktail deck with painted edges. It has clear sand spray top grip with color graphic and full-color bottom graphics with a retro shape. It features multi-colored composite truck and baseplate components with carbon steel axles. This is great for kids who are starting to learn skating. It has an average rating of 4.2 on Amazon.
Group spirit supposedly influences the members of this community. In presentations of this sort, showcasing of criminal tendencies is absent, and no attempt is made to tie extreme sports to any kind of illegal activity. Female based skateboarding groups also exist, such as Brujas which is based in New York City. Many women use their participation in skate crews to perform an alternative form of femininity.[75] These female skate crews offer a safe haven for women and girls in cities, where they can skate and bond without male expectations or competition.
The board also boasts of its reasonably small size and lightweight nature, making it easy to control and ride. In addition, carrying it wherever you want to go is also much easier because of its lightness. It is flexible enough that it can accommodate the needs of different kinds of users, including cruisers, travelers, beginners, expert riders, and kids.

Skateboards just aren’t what they used to be, and that doesn’t make Jim Greco, Baker and Deathwish OG, happy whatsoever. Greco started the company last year as an effort to bring back skateboard manufacturing to the USA from overseas in China, using the traditional silk screen ink transfer and hand shaping methods from the early days of skateboarding.

Keep in mind how tall you are when choosing a board width. Also consider the kind of style you wish to skate. Most technical skaters (the ones who incorporate advanced flip tricks... like Rodney Mullen) tend to favor boards between 7.5 and 7.75 regardless of how tall or small they happen to be. The upper hand of having a thin board allows for quick rotation. The other side of the spectrum is the "go big" skaters (Jamie Thomas is a classic example of a "go big" guy). Most "go big" guys favor size 8.0 and up. The advantage of a wide heavy board feels more stable under your feet while in mid air and while landing (especially those who have big feet). If your a kid you might want to just stick with a 7.66 or smaller.

Element has also diversified their business model with ventures into retail with Element stores across the globe, advocate programs supporting artists such as Thomas Campbell and Fred ‘French Fred’ Mortagne, Women’s fashion through the Element Women’s range and the most cohesive approach to supporting European skateboarding of any brand in the industry through their dedicated European team.